Eighty voting members of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC will meet in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday to consider a series of proposals as part of the Autonomy governance process that gives the five conferences the ability to enact NCAA rule changes in specific legislative areas.
The proposals under consideration were originally submitted by conferences in the Fall of 2015.
“Sports are an important part of the education received by thousands of young men and women in our conferences,” the five commissioners said in a joint statement. “Our job is to help students succeed in college and in life and we know that through sports, students learn discipline and how to manage their time.”
The meeting will include representatives from each of the 65 member schools of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC conferences and 15 student-athlete representatives, each of whom has a full vote and has been included in the ongoing discussions at the conference level.
Last year’s meeting in Washington, DC resulted in the passage of measures that protected student-athlete scholarships and allowed, for the first time ever, the creation of full cost of attendance benefits for student-athletes. The five conferences also adopted a Resolution, which outlined the vision for the future of intercollegiate sports and included a list of concepts to be delivered as legislative proposals during the following two years, including the areas of time demands, enhanced benefits and a redefinition of rules related to agents and advisors.
“We are in a new era in college sports,” the commissioners added. “We are determined to protect and improve the student-athlete experience. Thanks to college athletics and the scholarships students receive, many will graduate debt-free. We are also tasked with helping them develop the skills they need to be successful in life.”
About the Autonomy Session
The autonomy proposals will be reviewed during a Discussion Forum on Friday beginning at 8 a.m. CT, followed immediately by voting during the Autonomy Business Session. The chair of the group will be President Harris Pastides of the University of South Carolina.
Proposals can be approved by one of the following methods:
- 60 percent of all votes (48 votes) and a simple majority support from schools in three of the five conferences, or;
- A majority of all votes (at least 41) and simple majority support from the schools in four of the five conferences.
In addition to representatives from the 65 universities, 15 student-athletes will give a voice for the tens of thousands of current student-athletes in the five conferences. The student-athletes in the autonomy process include:
Name Institution Sport
Patrick Andrews Clemson Baseball
Kaila Barber Notre Dame Track and Field
Brady Bramlett Ole Miss Baseball
Ty Darlington Oklahoma Football
Diamond DeShields Tennessee Women’s Basketball
Ben-Marvin Egel Purdue Men’s Golf
Chris Hawthorne Minnesota Football
Jay Hughes Mississippi State Football
Taylor James California Women’s Rowing
Anthony Lyons, Jr. Texas Tech Baseball
Luis Macias Utah Men’s Swimming
Nandi Mehta Northwestern Women’s Soccer
Kene Orjioke UCLA Football
Artie Rowell Pitt Football
Maddie Stein Kansas Softball
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Chris Graham
